---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Naturally, what makes patriotic and…"
description: "\"“Naturally, what makes patriotic and religious fanatics such dangerous opponents is not the deaths of the fanatics themselves, but their willingness to..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/jared-diamond-2519_death_naturally-what-makes-patriotic-and-relig_1122043.jpg"
---

#  Naturally, what makes patriotic and religious fanatics…

![“Naturally, what makes patriotic and religious fanatics such dangerous opponents is not the deaths of the fanatics themselves, but their willingness to accept the deaths of a fraction of their number in order to annihilate or crush their infidel enemy.” quote by Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/jared-diamond-2519_death_naturally-what-makes-patriotic-and-relig_1122043.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/jared-diamond-2519_death_naturally-what-makes-patriotic-and-relig_1122043.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/jared-diamond-2519_death_naturally-what-makes-patriotic-and-relig_1122043.jpg)

> ““Naturally, what makes patriotic and religious fanatics such dangerous opponents is not the deaths of the fanatics themselves, but their willingness to accept the deaths of a fraction of their number in order to annihilate or crush their infidel enemy.””

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Fanatics are dangerous because they accept sacrificing some of their own to destroy enemies, showing extreme willingness to kill.

**In simple terms:** They kill some of their own to kill others.

Key Takeaway

Beware of ideologies that justify sacrificing members.

Themes

extremism violence group loyalty

Mood

tense critical

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- political campaigns
- religious movements
- military strategies
- social activism

Key Concepts

political psychology moral calculus identity conflict

Questions to Reflect On

- What values justify sacrificing some members for a cause?
- How can societies resist this mindset?

A Different Perspective

Such willingness can lead to moral erosion and unintended escalation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Deaths Fanatics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deaths-fanatics-3040545/) [Fanatics Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fanatics-dangerous-3040544/) [Fanatics Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fanatics-willingness-3040546/) [Patriotic religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotic-religious/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious fanatics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-fanatics/)

## Related quotes

> [ \[W\]hat makes patriotic and religious fanatics such dangerous opponents is not the deaths of the fanatics themselves, but their willingness to accept the deaths… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/w-hat-makes-patriotic-and-religious-fanatics-such-dangerous-opponents/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/but-what-do-we-mean-by-the-american-revolution-do-we-mean-the/)

[John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/)

> [Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have remover their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/can-the-liberties-of-a-nation-be-thought-secure-when-we-have-remover/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/sure-i-wave-the-american-flag-do-you-know-a-better-flag-to-wave/)

[John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/)

> [Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book, and every member should regulate his conduct by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/suppose-a-nation-in-some-distant-region-should-take-the-bible-for/)

[John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/)

> [July 4th ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/july-4th-ought-to-be-commemorated-as-the-day-of-deliverance-by-solemn/)

[John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/)

> [Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him, who has never yet forsaken this favored land, are still competent to adjust, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/intelligence-patriotism-christianity-and-a-firm-reliance-on-him-who/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/we-have-this-day-restored-the-sovereign-to-whom-all-men-ought-to-be/)

[Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/)

> [Sure I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave? Sure I love my country with all her faults. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/sure-i-wave-the-american-flag-do-you-know-a-better-flag-to-wave-sure/)

[John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/)

> [My heart trembles when I reflect that God is just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/my-heart-trembles-when-i-reflect-that-god-is-just/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/the-foundations-of-our-society-and-our-government-rest-so-much-on-the/)

[Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/)

> [In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/in-regard-to-this-great-book-i-have-but-to-say-it-is-the-best-gift/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-is-the-duty-of-all-nations-to-acknowledge-the-providence-of-2/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [We shall pay any price, bear any burden, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-shall-pay-any-price-bear-any-burden-to-assure-the-survival-and-the/)

[John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/)

> [Christianity is the only true and perfect religion...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/christianity-is-the-only-true-and-perfect-religion/)

[Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/)

## More by Jared Diamond

> [Bird taxonomy is a difficult field because of the severe anatomical constraints imposed by flight. There are only so many ways to design a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/bird-taxonomy-is-a-difficult-field-because-of-the-severe-anatomical/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [What did the last Easter Islander say as he chopped down the last tree? The Easter Islanders didnt have anthropologists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/what-did-the-last-easter-islander-say-as-he-chopped-down-the-last/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [“We come to conquer this land by his command, that all may come to a knowledge of God and of His Holy Catholic Faith;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/we-come-to-conquer-this-land-by-his-command-that-all-may-come-to-a/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [“With the rise of chiefdoms around 7,500 years ago, people had to learn, for the first time in history, how to encounter strangers regularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/with-the-rise-of-chiefdoms-around-7-500-years-ago-people-had-to-learn/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [Human societies vary in lots of independent factors affecting their openness to innovation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/human-societies-vary-in-lots-of-independent-factors-affecting-their/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [No government is here forever. And there are other forces - the most potent force in our society, in fact, big business - doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/no-government-is-here-forever-and-there-are-other-forces-the-most/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [“Those parasites pass to a person from an eaten animal, but the virus causing laughing sickness (kuru) in the New Guinea highlands used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/those-parasites-pass-to-a-person-from-an-eaten-animal-but-the-virus/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [“...invokes the supposed stimulatory effects of their homeland's cold climate and the inhibitory effects of hot, humid, tropical climates on human creativity and energy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/invokes-the-supposed-stimulatory-effects-of-their-homeland-s-cold/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [“Throughout the Americas, diseases introduced with Europeans spread from tribe to tribe far in advance of the Europeans themselves, killing an estimated 95 percent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/throughout-the-americas-diseases-introduced-with-europeans-spread/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/history-followed-different-courses-for-different-peoples-because-of/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [We study the injustices of history for the same reason that we study genocide, and for the same reason that psychologists study the minds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/we-study-the-injustices-of-history-for-the-same-reason-that-we-study/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [I decided that now is the time to start doing the things that really interest me and I find important. It was in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/i-decided-that-now-is-the-time-to-start-doing-the-things-that-really/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [“As a result of that confined distribution, peoples who pride themselves on being civilized have always viewed writing as the sharpest distinction raising them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/as-a-result-of-that-confined-distribution-peoples-who-pride/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [Infectious diseases introduced with Europeans, like smallpox and measles, spread from one Indian tribe to another, far in advance of Europeans themselves, and killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/infectious-diseases-introduced-with-europeans-like-smallpox-and/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

> [In fact, everywhere in the world there has been a flux between big and small societies. Big political units are constantly being formed, later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/in-fact-everywhere-in-the-world-there-has-been-a-flux-between-big-and/)

[Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

[Explore all 161 Jared Diamond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/)

## More Death quotes

> [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/)

[Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/)

> [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/)

[Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/)

> [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/)

[Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/)

> [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/)

[Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/)

> [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/)

[J. Anthony Torino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-anthony-torino/)

> [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/)

[Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/)

> [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/)

[Alan W. Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-powers/)

> [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/)

[Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/)

> [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/)

[Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/)

> [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/)

[Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/)

[Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Naturally, what makes patriotic and religious fanatics such dangerous opponents is not the deaths of the fanatics themselves, but their willingness to accept the deaths of a fraction of their number in order to annihilate or crush their infidel enemy.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jared Diamond"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/naturally-what-makes-patriotic-and-religious-fanatics-such-dangerous/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Death"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/naturally-what-makes-patriotic-and-religious-fanatics-such-dangerous/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/jared-diamond-2519_death_naturally-what-makes-patriotic-and-relig_1122043.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/jared-diamond-2519_death_naturally-what-makes-patriotic-and-relig_1122043.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf7/jared-diamond-2519_death_naturally-what-makes-patriotic-and-relig_1122043.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Naturally, what makes patriotic and religious fanatics such dangerous opponents is not the deaths of the…” — Jared Diamond",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jared Diamond",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Naturally, what makes patriotic and religious...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/naturally-what-makes-patriotic-and-religious-fanatics-such-dangerous/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/naturally-what-makes-patriotic-and-religious-fanatics-such-dangerous/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
